Bridges Built
by futuremrsbates99
Summary: When Elsie tries to make amends with Mary, it makes conversation with Charles. Carson/Hughes relationship. It's a bit OOC for Elsie, considering how she feels about Mary. Reviews&Follows appreciated!


Elsie POV

How was I ever going to do it? How was I ever going to have _this _conversation with a woman I had barely spoken to? This was Charles' territory, he was the one who knew how to comfort Mary in her times of grief, I was always the one who got on best with the younger two girls. But I couldn't help it, she needed support and stability, not only from her family upstairs but from everyone downstairs too. Charles' had done his bit and started off the healing process but she needed more than one person to be there for her, I was going to be one of those people.

I arrived at her door and rapped on the door briefly before entering and seeing a woman I had known almost all her life, broken down on the floor with her head in her hands out of her mind with grief. Never had I expected to see such an image, especially from Lady Mary of all people, she was always the one who preferred to suffer quietly and alone, she had cried no less than ten times in front on me and here she was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh my dear girl! Let's get you up on to the bed shall we, can't have you sat down there all night now can we, c'mon and get up. Everything's going to feel a lot better if you're comfortable, the best things for grief are sleep and food, you know! It takes your mind of it, for a short while at least." I had spoken in my normal manner, an approach I soon realized to be the wrong one so I softened my tone as I ushered her up to the bed, I hadn't yet noticed that she was already in her bed clothes although in hindsight it was to be assumed. She willingly rose and moved over to sit on the side of the bed but when I went to lift her feet so she could lie down she just shook her head. This had confused me so I stood there trying to anticipate her next move, never had I expected her to respond as she did to my silence.

She patted the bed beside her with her hand and looked up at me hopefully, obviously gesturing for me to sit down beside her, so I obeyed silently. We kept eye contact as I did so and I thought we were going to sit there forever in a thoughtful silence but instead she collapsed in to my arms and began again to sob relentlessly. I held her close to me like I would an injured child and hushed her softly as I tried to calm her breathing pattern.

"Oh, Mrs. Hughes! I know we never really saw eye to eye on more than one subject but I really need a figure like you to help me through this ordeal. Obviously I have Mama who is helping me a lot and there's dear old Carson, and sweet Anna too but I feel that there is someone missing, I need an older female influence beside Mama, please could we put aside our differences, if only temporarily so you can help me through this?" Her words made tears prick up in the corners of my eyes, a lump rose in my throat and an ache formed in my heart, she had actually asked for help from _me, _of all people! I smiled weakly at her before pulling her tighter in to a motherly embrace.

"Of course Milady, I will always be here to talk to, for as long as you need. I can't imagine what you're going through but I know somehow that if I were in your position I would want people to support me through it." I reassured her calmly and as we sat silently waiting for an interruption, her sobs and whimpers quietened and her breathing steadied, she fell in to an easy sleep in my arms the same way a young child would. I carefully put her to bed, trying my hardest not to wake her and kissed her forehead lightly before making my way out of the door.

Carson POV

I had just finished my work for the day and was walking toward Elsie's sitting room, as I did most evenings, for a cup of tea as we spoke about our days. We had always been marvellous friends, the only thing we ever really disagreed about was the family we served,she believed I was too emotionally attached to them whereas I thought her too detached. She was the one I spoke freely to, the one who knew the real me, behind the suits and the orders.

I arrived at her door, already part way open and saw her there, sitting vacantly, probably deep in thought and I felt guilty for interrupting her but I didn't know how long she would be if I didn't, so I knocked on her door as if I hadn't known she was daydreaming and smiled inwardly as she jumped slightly in her seat. I entered in to the room, pushing the door shut behind me and looked at her, she looked straight back.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you Mrs. Hughes. I was wondering if I might join you for a cup of tea?" She nodded delightedly and began to talk casually about how her day had been, almost the same as usual, similarly to mine. When she came back to sit down opposite from where I found myself placed, she passed me a cup and I thanked her before taking a sip and placing it down on the table in front of me.

"So anything different happen today?" I asked, not too intrusively, wondering whether she would say yes.

"Actually, I went to see Lady Mary this evening." My eyes widened at the prospect and I was hoping it was a pleasant visit for the both of them, I was terribly fond of the both of them and hated to hear them to talk badly of one another. "I know, I shocked myself. But I felt it necessary, she will need as much support as she can get in the following months, and I think we may have become friends if ever such a thing could happen." This was getting more brilliant by the minute, finally after all these years of hearing each talk about the other, they were beginning to get along? Could it be possible? "I won't go in to details because I wouldn't want to break confidence, but I must say she is not the person I thought she was and I do believe that we may end up even getting along! And I do believe that means that you, Mr Carson, now have nothing to contradict me on as we now seem to see eye-to-eye on every subject we discuss."

She was right, and she knew she was, the gleam of pride in her eye showed it when she smirked at me knowingly.

"I suppose so, Mrs. Hughes, there are to be no more disagreements of these matters, agreed?" I was just teasing her amiably, I knew she would agree either way.

"Of course, now drink your tea Charles Carson! I will not be making you another one if you allow that one to cool too much!" There she was, the feisty Scottish dragon that I had come to love though she would never know it. Obeying promptly before looking up at her, gazing it to those beautiful eyes of hers, she smirked at me and I smirked back.

Moments like these were the moments I cherished, usually it was right about now that someone would walk in, maybe Anna or Mr. Bates, but no-one did which made it all the more enjoyable.

"You know you're the only reason I've stayed here for this long, Elsie Hughes, I say it's because of my loyalty to the family but it's not, it's really not." She looked up at me, in a way that somehow didn't look startled and a smile drew across her face from ear to ear. I couldn't help but smile back at her, she was so beautiful when she was happy.

"Really, Charles? I always thought I was the one who loved you and that I'd never be able to tell because I knew you didn't feel the same way...but...really?!" She seemed to be doubting that I honestly did love her, when she had just admitted that she loved me, a much more unlikely fact.

"Yes really! Since the day you arrived I have loved you!" And that was it, all that was said, for the rest of the evening not a word was spoken, the two of us just sat in silence with her in my embrace as we enjoyed this so long awaited moment.

Who could have known that such sadness could result in such a joyous memory being made?


End file.
